he also referenced the impending fiscal cliff, which threatens to derail the economy if a compromise isn't be reached by next week on those big, unanswered issues. with both sides locked in a standoff, house republicans are calling on senate democrats to act first. democrats aren't budging much on their demands. they want to extend tax cuts on incomes below $250,000, prolong unemployment benefits and delay those sweeping spending cuts. while many republicans oppose new taxes for anyone, senator kay bailey hutchison says she's looking for compromise, alluding to house speaker john boehner's plan "b" that was met with stiff opposition from his own party. >> i think $250,000 is too low a threshold. a lot of working people who are couples would exceed that, and i don't think we need that kind of shock to the system. however, i've talked to some of my democratic colleagues, and they are saying maybe in the $400,000 or $500,000 category we could set a benchmark. i do think it is essential that we start talking about what amount can be passed on a bipartisan basis, because you know, i'm one